Fence, Wall, and Pool Barrier Permit in Carefree, Arizona

Yes — all fence and wall construction requires a building permit in Carefree, regardless of height. Maximum heights are 4.5 feet in required setbacks (5 feet for pool barriers) and 6-7 feet elsewhere on the lot, per Carefree Zoning Ordinance Sections 9.08/9.09.

In Carefree, the published Fence/Wall Permit Fee — Based on Valuation (Table 1-A) is: Same valuation schedule as building permits: $25 flat up to $500, scaling upward per Table 1-A. Additional published fees: Annual Renewal of Standard Swimming Pool Plans — $30.00 per plan. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Carefree's published plan-review target for a fence, wall, and pool barrier permit is 15–35 business days.

You'll need: Residential Pool Plan Review Checklist; Building Permit Application; Site Plan. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Carefree requires 2 inspection(s) for a fence, wall, and pool barrier permit, in order: Footing, Final. Schedule each through Town of Carefree Building Department (480-488-3686).

Apply through Town of Carefree Building Department at 8 Sundial Circle, P.O. Box 740, Carefree, AZ 85377. Phone: 480-488-3686, email: buildingofficial@carefree.org. Office hours: Town Hall main line 480-488-3686 (fax 480-488-3845); building permits are submitted in person at Town Hall (application form completed at the counter) or by mail to 8 Sundial Circle / P.O. Box 740, Carefree, AZ 85377. The current Building Official is Robert McCoy (buildingofficial@carefree.org), per the Town's live Building Department webpage.. Official information: https://www.carefree.org/page/building.

Carefree, Arizona has adopted: Arizona has NO statewide mandatory building code floor for general construction — code adoption is a per-city/county authority under state enabling statutes (A.R.S. Title 9; codes adopted under A.R.S. § 9-801 are declared public records of the adopting jurisdiction). The Town of Carefree independently adopts and administers its own construction codes through its own Building Department; it does not defer permitting to Maricopa County. Source: Carefree, Arizona Code of Ordinances, Chapter 10, Article 10-1 (Comprehensive Building Safety Code), Section 10-1-1 Adoption, via American Legal Publishing code library (codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/carefree).; 2018 International Building Code (IBC) and amendments, published by the International Code Council, adopted by reference (Carefree Town Code § 10-1-1(A)), with Town of Carefree amendments effective January 24, 2023 (§ 10-1-2(A)). Source: Carefree Town Code, Chapter 10, Article 10-1; Town of Carefree 'Effective Building Codes' summary sheet.; 2018 International Residential Code (IRC) and amendments, adopted by reference (§ 10-1-1(B)), with Town amendments effective January 24, 2023 (§ 10-1-2(B)), including adoption of Appendices F, H, M, and P (IRC § R102.5.1 amendment). Source: Carefree Town Code, Chapter 10, Article 10-1.; 2018 International Plumbing Code (IPC) and amendments, adopted by reference (§ 10-1-1(C)), with State amendments and additional Town amendments effective January 24, 2023 (§ 10-1-2(C)), including adoption of Appendix C. Plumbing permit fees are set per Carefree Town Code Chapter 10, Section 10-1-2 (IPC § 106.6.2 amendment), not the IPC's own fee table. Source: Carefree Town Code, Chapter 10, Article 10-1.; 2017 National Electrical Code (NEC) and amendments, adopted by reference in total (§ 10-1-1(D) / § 10-1-2(D)), effective January 24, 2023 (one edition behind the 2018 ICC code set). Source: Carefree Town Code, Chapter 10, Article 10-1.; 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC) and amendments, adopted by reference (§ 10-1-1(E)), with Town amendments effective January 24, 2023 (§ 10-1-2(E)). Mechanical permit fees are explicitly cross-referenced to 'Chapter One of the International Building Code as adopted by the Town of Carefree' (IMC § 106.5.2 amendment) — i.e., the same Table 1-A valuation fee schedule as building permits. Source: Carefree Town Code, Chapter 10, Article 10-1.; 2018 International Fire Code (IFC) and amendments, adopted by reference (§ 10-1-1(F)), effective January 24, 2023; the Town of Carefree has assumed fire-code jurisdiction from the State Fire Safety Committee under A.R.S. §34-461 and §41-2163(A)(2), administered through the Rural/Metro Fire Department. Source: Carefree Town Code, Chapter 10, Article 10-1, Section 10-1-1.1/10-1-1.2 (IFC amendments).; 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and amendments, adopted by reference (§ 10-1-1 / § 10-1-2(G)), effective January 24, 2023. Source: Carefree Town Code, Chapter 10, Article 10-1.; 2018 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) and amendments, adopted by reference (§ 10-1-2(H)), effective January 24, 2023; fees cross-referenced to Chapter One of the IBC as adopted by the Town (same Table 1-A schedule). Source: Carefree Town Code, Chapter 10, Article 10-1.; 2018 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) and amendments, adopted by reference (§ 10-1-1(K) / § 10-1-2(K)), effective January 24, 2023. Source: Carefree Town Code, Chapter 10, Article 10-1.; 2018 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC), published by the International Code Council, adopted by reference as a code within the meaning of A.R.S. § 9-801. Source: Town of Carefree 'Effective Building Codes' summary sheet (current as of live 2026 Town website).; 'Uniform Abatement of Dangerous Buildings,' 1994 Edition, published by the International Conference of Building Officials, and amendments, adopted by reference as a code within the meaning of A.R.S. § 9-801. Source: Town of Carefree 'Effective Building Codes' summary sheet.; 'The Town of Carefree Adobe Code,' dated April 1985, and amendments, plus the 'Conducting Blasting Operations Code,' dated November 1998, and amendments — both declared public records of the Town of Carefree. Source: Carefree Town Code, Chapter 10, Article 10-1, Section 10-1-1.; Manufactured/mobile homes and factory-built buildings fall under separate State of Arizona regulation (A.R.S. § 41-4001 et seq., Arizona Department of Fire, Building and Life Safety / Office of Manufactured Housing) for construction/installation standards; the Town's own permit process governs site placement, foundation, and zoning compliance. This inference follows the standard Arizona home-rule pattern documented across other Arizona municipalities' code-adoption ordinances and was not separately re-verified on a dedicated Carefree page — flagged as the one item in this record inferred from the statewide pattern rather than a page found specifically on carefree.org.. Local amendments apply — see the Carefree overview page for the full list.

Pool and spa barriers must be walls or fences at least 60 inches (5 feet) high, with self-closing, self-latching gates that swing outward; wire mesh and chain-link are not permitted as pool barriers, per Carefree Zoning Ordinance Section 9.09 and Town Code Article 5-3.